The present invention relates to a protector for interposition between an object being shipped and a shipping container, and particularly to such a protector providing adequate support for a substantially rectangular object, which is packaged in a shipping container and is subject to such containers being stacked on top of one another.
It is common practice when packing various objects in a shipping carton to provide protecting means between the object being shipped and an outer packaging such as a cardboard box. Such protecting means commonly take the form of styrofoam protectors positioned upon the corners of the objects being shipped to in effect suspend the object within the shipping container.
Specifically, it is common practice when shipping substantially rectangularly shaped window room air conditioners to provide several styrofoam protecting means to engage the corners thereof prior to placing the air conditioner in its final shipping carton.
It has been found that prior art protecting means for window air conditioners have not provided adequate protection during shipping and storage. Specifically, it has been found that in some large air conditioners, which include heavy compressors, the basepan is not adequately supported and may flex and distort during shipping. Further, it is common practice when shipping air conditioners contained in cardboard cartons to stack a number of units one upon the other in trucks, warehouses and other storage locations. Such stacking of components has been found to result in damage to the air conditioner housing as a result of multiple units being stacked one upon the other. Another mode of damage experienced with such units is experienced when strapping materials and the like are wrapped around an individual carton, or a number of cartons contained upon a pallet or the like are retained by restraining straps which impart forces upon unprotected portions of the container and results in distortion and damage to the article within the container.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a protecting means for room air conditioners and other similarly shaped rectangular objects which will provide protection to the unit under the above described conditions of shipping and/or storage.